The 2026 Fairyhouse Easter Festival kicks off with an ultra-competitive card on Saturday and we’ve picked out selections for all seven races.
Featuring four Listed-class contests, including the BOYLE Sports Mares Handicap Chase, there is quality and quantity on this cracking card.
Fairyhouse Horse Racing Tips – Easter Festival Saturday
14:05 Tip
14:05 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Mares Maiden Hurdle – Alliteration
Philip Dempsey’s charge did well to land a Galway bumper on decent ground back in October and has been a touch unfortunate to come up against some smart sorts when placed three times over timber, including Bambino Fever and a couple of Gordon Elliott-trained favourites.
Alliteration will hopefully find this weekend’s company more conducive and the fitting of cheekpieces is another plus point.
14:40 Tip
14:40 BOYLE Sports Mares Handicap Chase – Bioluminescence
Gavin Cromwell’s eight-year-old is competing at a third straight Fairyhouse Easter Festival and should benefit from having her sights lowered after struggling in a Grade One novice hurdle and last season’s BOYLE Sports Irish Grand National.
Although no match for Dinoblue at Naas last time out, that was a nice spin round and this graded-class scorer over hurdles and fences is well equipped to give weight away to inferior opposition, with any late rain a bonus.
15:15 Tip
15:15 Blackrock College AFC Ladies National Handicap Chase – Kings Hill
Siding with Jody Townend in these races is always a safe option and Kings Hill, who trainer Paul Gilligan has always thought a lot of, comes into this contest in good heart following a victory at Limerick last month.
15:50 Tip
15:50 Tom Quinlan Electrical Maiden Hurdle – He Can’t Dance
This son of Jukebox Jury looked destined for big things after being bought for £300,000 following a point-to-point win over recent Cheltenham Festival scorer Meetmebythesea and then comfortably landing a Navan bumper on his debut under rules.
He Can’t Dance hasn’t quite fulfilled that early promise but there have been a number of encouraging placed efforts, most recently when third of 21 in a valuable Leopardstown handicap at the Dublin Racing Festival, so we’re definitely not giving up on him just yet.
16:25 Tip
16:25 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Novice Handicap Hurdle Series Final – Vitorio Piel (NAP)
Emmet Mullins has been typically patient with this six-year-old, who bolted up in a 20-runner bumper on his racecourse debut at last year’s Punchestown Festival.
Vitorio Piel put in a couple of fair placed efforts after being struck into on his hurdling bow but the penny really dropped at Leopardstown early last month, when he made short work of a rock-solid rival in Grey Jude.
An initial handicap mark of 129 is fair on that evidence, but the feeling is that there is still plenty of untapped potential in a gelding closely related to multiple Grade One winner Kemboy.
17:00 Tip
17:00 Rybo Handicap Hurdle – Karbau
Willie Mullins’ six-year-old has to carry 11st 12lb in an ultra-competitive contest but is still sure to attract plenty of support after going into plenty of notebooks as a real eye-catcher at the Cheltenham Festival.
After being sent off favourite for the County Hurdle, Karbau made smooth progress from the rear to look a big threat turning for home, but then got no sort of a run in the closing stages.
Placed in Grade One events at Aintree and Punchestown as a novice around this time last year, he had returned to action with a good second to Glen Kiln in the Limestone Lad Hurdle at Naas and everything suggests he has a big win in him.
17:35 Tip
17:35 Irish Stallion Farms EBF Total Enjoyment Mares INH Flat Race – Wonderful Everyday
This Mullins-trained five-year-old has disappointed twice in testing conditions this term but the hope is that better ground will allow the €120,000 purchase to recapture the form shown when beating a big field in last spring’s valuable bumper success at the Punchestown Festival.
Saturday Fairyhouse Predictions
Saturday Fairyhouse Easter Festival Race Predictions
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